OLYMPIA—Northshore School District’s Kim Broomer of Ruby Bridges Elementary was announced the Washington State 2025 Teacher of the Year in Olympia on Saturday, September 28. She was one of eight finalists across the state considered for the prestigious award. Geancarla “Carla” Shanks Morales of Orcas Island Elementary within the Orcas Island School District was awarded the 2024 Classified School Employee of the Year.
“I love my job,” Broomer said after receiving her award. “I have such a cool job. I have taught kindergarten for 22 years. Kindergarten kids are just so cool and funny, and they share all of their family’s business, and I just love that. Yet I hadn’t realized for so long in my career that certain kids were actually being segregated from my classroom.
Broomer continued, “I always thought that Special Ed kids weren’t my jam…there are other teachers for that. When I moved to Ruby Bridges Elementary and I met my principal, Cathi Davis, she explained her mission and her vision for including all kids in meaningful ways in all spaces, and then relentlessly helped us pursue that every day with all of our kids, I realized how much work we all have to do; how much work I have to do.
“So, I am going to be using this platform to talk about inclusion but also belonging and thinking about who belongs at every given space…who genuinely and authentically belong in the classroom.”
State Superintendent Chris Reykdal thanked both Broomer and Morales, and the other nominees for their dedication to supporting children.
“You don’t build a world-class economy like we have in Washington state without public education,” Reykdal told attendees. “You don’t create opportunities for 85,000 kids to leave the system every year to go into the workforce, to serve in the military, or go into a technical college, apprenticeship, or university. You don’t do that without people you heard from here today.”
“Kim Broomer represents the very best of Northshore School District,” Northshore Superintendent Michael Tolley wrote to the Lynnwood Times. “Kim is unwavering in her commitment to inclusion and making sure that each and every student is supported, know they belong, and thrives academically and socially. We are all very proud of Kim and her work on behalf of our students. Congratulations to Kim on her recognition and being named the 2025 Washington State Teacher of the Year.”
The Northshore School District is top ranked in student proficiency standards within Snohomish County school districts year-after-year. Approximately 23,230 students are enrolled in Northshore’s schools with a 2023-24 school year 4-year high school graduation rate of 95.1%. The district has roughly 1,460 teachers with an average teaching experience of 12.4 years.
“Kim Broomer’s commitment to creating spaces of belonging and connection while always magnifying the strengths of each student is remarkable,” wrote Ruby Ridges Principal Cathi Davis to the Lynnwood Times. “She is deeply committed to the Ruby Bridges Elementary vision of inclusive community for each student and serves as a leader in our local, state and national engagement on inclusion. Kim is so deserving of this incredible award in recognition of her investment, her values and her legacy of service to students and families.”
Broomer is a graduate of the University of Washington and holds a master’s in teaching from City University. She has taught at Gig Harbor Academy, Lakeridge Elementary, and Kenmore Elementary schools prior to Ruby Bridges Elementary.
Her love of teaching stemmed from her mother, who for 33 years ran a small in-home daycare for birth to 5-year-olds.
Broomer has been recognized as “Ahead of the Class” by the Renton Chamber of Commerce, “Innovative Teacher of the Year” by the Northshore School Foundation and by the Seattle Seahawks as a “Hero in the Classroom.”
NWESD 2025 Regional Teacher of the Year
A second Snohomish County educator was also nominated for Teacher of the Year, English teacher Kelly Guilfoil of Lake Stevens High School within the Lake Stevens School District. She was named Northwest Educational Services District 2025 Regional Teacher of the Year.
Guilfoil received her bachelor’s in education from Eastern Washington University and holds a master’s in English from Bowling Green State University.
According to her nomination form, her favorite lessons are to get students solving problems and advocating for change. Her classes have designed special elections on district policy, built a website teaching teens how to become activists, and created “Teach a Boomer,” a public collection of videos that share trending language, technology, and hobbies with older generations.
She brought Advanced Placement English Language to the Lake Stevens School District which provided access to college credit for hundreds of students. In 2021, she was selected as a state expert on standards-based grading and presented to the OSPI Student Learning Advisory Workgroup. Her classes have been featured in GOOD Magazine and the National Writing Project.
2025 Teacher of the Year Finalists:
- Teena Vaderholm, Washtucna School District, Northeast Washington Educational Service District (ESD) 101
- Lauren Thomas, Toppenish High School, Toppenish School District, ESD 105
- Rachel Lake, Ilwaco High School, Ocean Beach School District, ESD 112
- Andrew Landowski, Black Hills High School, Tumwater School District, Capital Region ESD 113
- Kristyne York, James Taylor High School, Belfair School District, Olympic ESD 114
- Kim Broomer, Ruby Bridges Elementary, Northshore School District, Puget Sound ESD 121
- Kristy Bishop, Moses Lake High School, Moses Lake School District, North Central ESD 171
- Kelly Guilfoil, Lake Stevens High School, Lake Stevens School District, Northwest ESD 189
2024 Classified School Employee of the Year Finalists:
- Tammy Ward, Mary Walker School District, ESD 101
- Erica Aparicio, Yakima Public Schools, Yakima School District, ESD 105
- Zach Claypool, Lexington Elementary School, Kelso School District, ESD 112
- Kathi Dahlstrom, Wishkah Valley School District, Capital Region ESD 113
- Carrie Johnson, Greywolf Elementary, Sequim School District, Olympic ESD 114
- Julie Herdt, Tukwila School District, Puget Sound ESD 121
- Maria Valle, Quincy School District, North Central ESD 171
- Geancarla “Carla” Shanks Morales, Orcas Island Elementary School, Orcas Island School District, Northwest ESD 189
Author: Mario Lotmore
